The present invention relates to a tool with two tool halves which are movable relative to one another and mountable on a receiving plate of a machine. Each of the tool halves is connected fixedly and releasably by a fast coupling means with a fast clamping plate mountable on the respective receiving plate of the machine. The fast coupling means have several clamping pins, which project over the respective tool halves and are received in respective receiving openings of the fast clamping plate associated with the respective tool half. The fast coupling means also includes locking elements which form-lockingly engage in transverse openings or recesses extending substantially perpendicularly to the longitudinal axis of the clamping pins. The locking elements are received in bearing openings which extend perpendicularly to the receiving openings of the clamping pins, and are displaceable out of their engaging positions in the transverse openings or recesses of the clamping pins. In particular, the present invention relates to an injection mold with mold halves which are mountable on the respective vertically extending receiving plates of an injection molding machine.
The terms "tool half" or "mold half" in the sense of the present invention mean both parts of a tool or a mold which are movable relative to one another, even in the case when the separation plane does not extend along the center of the tool or of the mold, and the oppositely movable parts of the tool or of the mold can be formed differently from one another.
Tools are known which have tool or mold halves that are rigidly, yet releasably connectable by fast coupling means with fast clamping plates, which are mountable on the receiving plates of the respective machines.
The PCT application WO No. 83/01038 discloses a mounting arrangement for the mold tool of an injection molding machine on mold supports, in which clamping pins extend laterally from the mold halves of a mold tool, and engage in the respective recesses in the mold support plates. The mold support plates have guides which extend perpendicularly to the above-mentioned recesses for receiving the clamping means in the coupling positions. Wedges are movably received in the guides, and form locking means for the clamping pins, so that in the locking position the wedges extend through the transverse openings of the clamping pins and secure the latter in their positions. A cylinder-piston unit, which utilizes a hydraulic fluid, serves for actuation of the locking means formed as wedges, between, on one hand, their locking positions, in which they engage in the transverse openings of the clamping means, and, on the other hand, their released positions, in which they are withdrawn from the clamping means.
The DE-OS No. 3,140,837 also discloses a pressure molding machine with a similar mounting arrangement for the mold tools on the mold support plates of the machine. In this known mounting arrangement the clamping pins extend laterally from the mold support halves of the mold tool, and engage in respective openings of the machine plates, and wedges which are axially movable perpendicularly to the above-mentioned recesses in respective guiding openings arrest the clamping pins, so as to form-lockingly engage portions of the clamping pins received in the recesses in the coupling position.
The provision of such tools with mounting arrangements of the above-described type permits a fast and trouble-free tool replacement. However, and the halves of a tool must be mounted on the respective receiving plates of the respective machine in an accurately centered manner. This requirement has not been achieved in the known mounting arrangements, since during insertion of the clamping pins into the receiving openings with lateral projection over the two halves, or during disassembly, jamming can take place between the receiving openings and the clamping pins. It is to be understood that this makes a fast and simple tool exchange impossible. Particularly there exists the risk with such jamming actions, that the wedges which engage in the locking position with the clamping pins, can cause deformation of these clamping pins. In such a case it is impossible, or possible only with great efforts, to disassemble a tool received in the machine.